


Look, It's Complicated

by OmniscientProstitute



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, it's not supposed to be the best thing I've ever written, this is a for fun writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2018-11-08 08:23:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 12,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11077731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OmniscientProstitute/pseuds/OmniscientProstitute
Summary: The Marauders discover Remus Lupin, and they all have a different reason for wanting to befriend him.





	1. Who's That Boy

Sirius was supposed to be studying for his very important Divination test. He had successfully studied for the last two hours; but, his focus could only last so long. Besides, a marvelous distraction had appeared. Sirius had been reviewing his notes like a good student when a thump and a soft curse pulled his attention away from his very interesting textbook. He looked over just in time to see a male bending down to pick up a heavy looking leather-bound off the floor. The black school trousers tightened across his ass allowing Sirius to get an eye-full of round cheeks. The male remained facing away from Sirius as he stood, giving Sirius time to assess the situation. There were three other books on the table relating to Potions. The male was lean with brown hair that looked soft and well-maintained. Sirius diverted his eyes as the male turned to take his seat. Waiting until he could hear pages turning, Sirius peaked at the male through a curtain of black hair. His face looked soft, especially compared to the angular specter Sirius was used to seeing in the mirror. A slim neck connected to a round chin and rose petal lips, which were pursed in concentration. The nose sloped in a delicate manner, looking almost feminine paired with long eyelashes and arched eyebrows. The male would have been entirely inviting if not for the long scars that swept downward from the left side of his face. One cut across the bridge of his nose, while a second cut through his bottom lip. Averting his eyes back to his notes, Sirius tapped the pages lightly. The male was obviously a Gryffindor, as he was in Gryffindor Tower, but Sirius had never seen him before. He couldn't be a First Year. No First Year would need books about advanced healing potions. Sirius flipped his book closed carelessly, the snap drawing the male's attention. Green eyes briefly met Sirius's before retreating back to the text before him. Sirius took a moment to appreciate the way long, pale fingers cradled the quill. Sirius could have plucked the quill out of the male's hand without resistance. he was tempted to try it, just to see how the male would react, but withheld himself.

Finally forcing his feet to move, Sirius made his way to the dormitory he shared with his two best friends, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew, and Frank Longbottom. Not that Frank spent any more time than he needed to around them. As expected James and Peter were in the room hunched over a thick book whispering. Sirius dumped his book in his trunk before joining his friends on James' bed. "Do either of you know of a Gryffindor with scars on his face?" Sirius made a sweeping motion with his hand across his face.

"Lupin!" Peter squeaked.

"What?"

"Remus Lupin, that's who you're talking about."

"What year is he in?"

"Ours. He's in my Herbology class. Bloody brilliant that one is, always has his nose in a book."

"Why are you asking about Lupin?" James asked, setting his book aside.

"I saw him studying in the commons when I was down there. I figured I would have remembered him." Sirius shrugged ignoring the troublesome looks his two friends were exchanging.

"He keeps to himself for the most part. I don't think I've ever seen him talk to anyone. He's very awkward."


	2. What Happens When You Fail Potions

Remus sat at the end of the Gryffindor table with a muggle book balanced in his left hand. His plate sat off to his right, so he could pick at his food without looking away from his book. The full moon was days away, which meant Remus's appetite was practically nonexistent; although, his senses were on overdrive. The grapes sitting innocently on the plate filled his mouth with too much flavor when his teeth bit them. The worn cotton of his school uniform caused his skin to crawl and itch. The sudden yelling that permeated the room visibly startled Remus and set his hair on end. The voices were familiar, the names associated even more so. James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black. They were known for elaborate pranks and getting detention while sitting in detention. Remus held a secret fear for the three boys, who strolled around the Forbidden Forest a month ago and swore they heard a wolf howl. The trio had a reputation for accidentally uncovering dirty secrets. Remus wanted his secrets to remain buried. The three troublemakers settled into their seats at the end of the table, and the volume in the room lowered to a more tolerable level. Remus debated sneaking to the library before classes began, but Lily Evens slid into the seat across from him preventing him from fleeing the room. He had managed to befriend Lily during their first year Transfiguration class. "Did you get that studying done last night?" The semi-worried look on her face caused Remus to shift.

"Yes, but my struggle with potions is not the knowledge but the application."

"If you fail this exam you'll have to get a tutor, and I'm already booked."

"I know," Remus slid his marker into his book, "if only I could charm a cauldron to make potions for me."

\------------

Not three hours later Remus was staring dejectedly into a vat of black sludge that occasionally released a bubble which floated toward the ceiling. It smelled like sulfur and strawberry milk. Professor Slughorn frowned at Remus. "Mr. Lupin, please see me after class."

"Yes, sir."

Remus approached Slughorn's desk with trepidation while trying to convey confidence. Slughorn wasn't a scary teacher, but the disappointment was evident. "You are an enigma Mr. Lupin. Perfect scores on your written exams, yet without fail you fail practical application." Remus blushed, fingers curling into the sleeves of his robe. "Luckily one of my best students has a few detentions to serve. Every evening after super, I expect you to meet Mr. Potter for an hour long tutor session. My room will be available to you."

"Yes, sir."

Lily was waiting for Remus outside of Slughorn's classroom trying to pretend she wasn't listening in. The front lasted a few steps. "I can't believe Potter is going to be your tutor." Dislike was evident in her voice.

"It's for detention. I doubt he'll do anything."

"I just hope he isn't a prat to you like he is to everyone else."

Remus sighed, "I'm hoping he doesn't bring the other two with him."

"Like you said, it's a detention." Lily ruffled Remus's hair. "I'll see you at super."

\-------

Remus found James in Slughorn's classroom. He looked a little out of place without Black or Pettigrew flanking him on either side. Ingredients were strewn around the area, a few carelessly tipped on their side. "Is it supposed to be on its side like that?" James jumped. His arms flung outwards, barely missing a jar of petals, before retracting back to his body.

"Bloody hell, you scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry." Remus set his books to the side before taking in James appearance. The trio normally walked around with loose ties and untucked shirts, but James was missing everything but his white button-up shirt. Feeling overdressed, Remus removed his robe. "None of this is in a Skin Regrowth Potion."

"That's because we aren't making a Skin Regrowth Potion." James had turned back toward the table and had begun sorting through vials.

"What are we making then?" Remus came to stand next to James at the table. He made sure to sound extra unimpressed.

"Something that will make Lily Evens fall in love with me."

"Lily Evens?" James nodded in confirmation causing Remus to release an unattractive snort. He tried to cover it with a cough, but it was too late.

"What?'

"Nothing, it's just that Lilly will never like you. She thinks you're a prat."

"And how would you know?" James was fully facing Remus. His arms crossed across his chest.

"She's my best friend. Also, practically the entire school knows she can't stand you." 

James huffed, his eyebrows coming together in concentration. "Fine. Let's make you a bloody Skin Regrowth Potion."


	3. Plans Put in Place

The door to the boys room burst open; the handle cracking against the wall. James stood in the doorway grinning triumphantly. His normal bedhead was even more messed than usual. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were thoroughly snogged." Sirius teased.

"Not yet, but by the end of this tutoring bullshit I will be well acquainted with Mrs. Evens."

"Why do you think that?" Peter popped his leftover chips from dinner into his mouth.

"So my penance for stealing the Wood Root from Slughorn is to be a tutor. Guess who I'm tutoring!" James continued on before either Sirius or Peter could open their mouth. "Remus Lupin, who happens to be best friends with Evens." A mild pang of self-deprecation shot through Sirius as he perked up at the sound of Remus's name.

"So you're going to use Remus to get to Evens?" Peter asked, sounding unsure.

"When you say it like that, it sounds bad. Let's call it adding another Marauder."

Sirius snorted, "What does Remus think about this?"

James waved his hand dismissively. "He'll say yes obviously. I mean who wouldn't want to be our friend."

"How are you planning to do this?" Sirius settled back against his headboard.

"First, we have to figure out where he lurks when he's not in class. Then, we make sure someone is always around him. After spending enough time around us, he'll have to be my friend, I mean our friend."

"I doubt that's going to work." Peter interjected, "Remus is very sneaky."

"No faith. You have no faith, and that makes you a terrible friend."

"Fine, let's pretend for a second this does work. The three of us have befriended Remus and make him the fourth Marauder. How is that going to help you get Evens?"

"Once Remus is a Marauder, he will feed Evens nothing but complements about me until she realizes how amazing I am and demands to date me." The self-satisfied smile on James's face made Sirius laugh.

"Or you could just stop being a dickhead." There were three heartbeats of silence before the three boys burst out laughing.

\-------

The next morning when Sirius spotted Remus leaving the Great Hall before anyone else had entered it, he ditched James's plan. Forcing Remus to like them through exposure was going to drive the boy away, not bring him in. They would have to create coincidences. Incidents where one of them was there to offer help. Picking up books after he tripped over something on the floor, offering a quill when his suddenly all disappeared, conveniently having a clothes cleaning charm after some food gets spilled on his robe, a counter hex after an unfortunate miscast hex--Sirius filed his ideas away for later. He knew that as James friend he should include him in the plan, but Sirius wanted to impress Remus by himself. He just had so many questions for the guy. Where did the scars come from? If he was bloody brilliant, why did he need a tutor for potions? How did he befriend Evens? As well as questions that hinted at something Sirius didn't want to think about. What were his parents like? Which foods are his favorite? Why does he hide away? Where does he go? Sirius refused to call it a crush. Not because Remus was a boy, Sirius has known he's bisexual for years, but because he has only ever seen the boy once. He's only known of Remus's existence for days. 

"Evens, you look lost. There's a spot open next to me!" Sirius rocketed back to reality when James's voice boomed into his ear. Lily looked less lost and more concerned. She was scanning the room, looking for someone.

"Bugger off, Potter." She replied sharply giving up her search in favor of settling into a seat on the opposite end of the table.

"She was probably looking for Remus." Peter quickly supplied, distracting James before he could start pouting about the rejection.

"If she can't find him, there's no way in hell we'll be able to." Sirius threw in. He silently prayed to Merlin that James would get it through his thick skull that they needed to change their plan. "I mean she's his best friend. You're just his tutor."

"But how am I supposed to get him on my side!?"

"You're his potions tutor, teach him potions. When he aces his next exam, he'll have to thank you. Say you want him to come to Hogsmeade with us. After a night with us we'll have him hooked." James looked at Sirius as if he had just offered his wildest dreams up to him on a plate.

"Sirius, you are a genius."

"Yeah, now all you have to do is not fuck it up." Peter interjected with a chuckle.


	4. Ohhh Wait For It

Remus woke-up feeling like absolute garbage. His joints ached. His nerves jerked. He felt uncomfortable in his body, like his knees were bending the wrong way. He constantly tripped over nothing, and almost dropped anything he tried to pick-up. The day of the full moon was almost worse than the night. Remus could handle the pain; he had been since he was five. But, having to go through school as if everything was normal, was hell. In order to be around as few people as possible, Remus woke up early and used stairways far outside his regular path. Remus knew Lily recognized that there was a cycle, and that it confused her as much as it concerned her. She barely accepted Remus's excuse of needing a mental day. She was a great friend to never pry beyond that. Remus knew he was lucky.

By super, Remus was exhausted. His head pounded with pain. His eyes watered. His ears rang. He wanted nothing more than to eat a piece of chocolate from his stash and chain himself to his tree in the Forbidden Forest, but he couldn't. As much as he agreed with Lily that James Potter was a prat and a waste of time, it would be rude to skip a tutor session without warning or reason, even if it was technically a detention. Remus opted to skip super in favor of setting out the necessary ingredients for a Bone Healing Potion. The clashing pungent odors were almost too overwhelming. On multiple occasions Remus had to breath deeply over a waste bin. James strolled in a half hour after food had been cleared with a roll stuffed in his pocket. "You're early."

"Yes." Remus hoped James would skip the chatter and get strait to the potion making. "I finished eating early."

"Huh, I didn't even see you leave the Great Hall." Remus shrugged, noting that it sounded like James had been looking for him. "Anyway, what are we making today?"

"Bone Healing Potion."

"Oho, that's a tricky one."

The potion took hours to brew. Each ingredient had to be added a certain amount of time after the previous and at a certain temperature. The one bright side was that Remus managed to vial some while he was cleaning the cauldron out. Turning into and out of the wolf destroyed and rebuilt his bone structure, but it never left any physical damage. It was the night long struggle to free himself that broke bones, ripped muscle, and tore skin. He kept a collection of healing potions and charms near the tree, and it was never too full.

Remus felt exposed as he hurried across the gassy grounds of Hogwarts. He felt watched, even after reaching the cover of the Forbidden Forest. There was no time for Remus to worry about a potential witness. If he didn't get himself contained before he changed, he would transform into a supernatural monster, head towards the closest population, murder anything that crossed his path, and wake up the next morning without a single memory of it. Personal injuries were nothing compared to that possibility. Remus could feel his body shifting as he approached the abused tree. He quickly stripped out of his clothes and backed himself against the huge tree. With a familiar spell on his lips, Remus called a heavy anchor chain to wrap around his body. He managed one deep breath, which was expelled in a pained scream.


	5. Whoop There It Is

Following Remus out of the castle and into the Forbidden Forest was a thoughtless decision. Sirius had been waiting outside of Slughorn's class for James's tutor session to finish when Remus hurried out looking frantic. The decision to chase after Remus was not Sirius's to make; his feet simply followed the mysterious male through unknown halls and stairways and out onto the grounds. The night was clear and stagnant. No wispy clouds obstructed the reflected moonlight. Years of sneaking around Grimwauld prepared Sirius for this moment; although, Remus never acted suspicious of anyone following him. The forest was unusually quiet and seemingly inconspicuous. The various creatures professors warned about were hidden away. Remus's gait quickened as they neared an ancient tree. Deep ruts clustered around the base along with large chunks which had been taken out of the bark. Discoloration mottled the bark, but Sirius was too far away to clearly see what the cause was. Sirius's study of the tree ended when his eyes caught moonlight surrounding Remus's naked body. There was little time for him to appreciate the exposed skin as Remus hurried to the tree, which he chained himself to.

Sirius tip-toed to hide behind a closer tree only to fall on his face when a painful scream ripped through the air. There wasn't much Sirius could see through the large chains encircling Remus, but what he could see made his stomach churn. Bones cracked and rippled under skin that was growing thick grey hair at an alarming rate. The feminine nose morphed into a snout, and his ears pointed while they traveled to the top of his cranium. Paws, which were once hands and feet, thrashed against the chains until bones protruded through the skin. The snapping of bone was drowned out by screams; shrill releases of air that deepened and elongated into throaty howls. Sharp teeth mashed together as the wolf's head whipped from side to side. Blood dripped down the tree, pooling in a hole dug among the roots. Sirius didn't know how long he laid on the ground watching the most horrible thing he had ever seen occur. He had vomited at some point, and the acrid taste stained his mouth. Sirius scrambled to his feet snapping sticks and drawing the wolf's attention towards him. He ran; the wolf's howl trailing after him.

Sirius ran at a full sprint all the way back to the castle. He scrambled through the Marauder's secret entrance, then sunk to the floor. His body shook from shock and the struggle to drag air into his lungs. He had just watched Remus, the bookworm best friend of Lily Evens, Lupin turn into a wolf on a full moon. Sirius wanted to yell and cry and laugh. But, he remained silent hunkered in the alcove. It wasn't illegal to be a werewolf, but it was heavily stigmatized. It would be hard for Remus to hold down a job, own a home, or start a family. Sirius wondered how he got into Hogwarts, if Dumbledore knew. Evens obviously didn't know. She wouldn't allow him to chain himself to a tree every full moon. That probably made the whole transformation a hundred times worse. Sirius didn't know what to do. He wanted to tell James, but there was no way to make "so I followed Remus into the Forbidden Forest last night, and saw him turn into a werewolf" not sound creepy and insane. Sirius let his head fall back against the wall. He would deal with everything in the morning. At the moment he wanted nothing more than to drink a bottle of Fire-whisky and crash.


	6. Private Eyes, Their Watching You

Remus stumbled into the castle through a House Elf entrance tucked behind a clump of foliage. He stooped to keep his head from dragging along the top of the passage. The elves bustling around the kitchen ignored Remus as he nicked a few biscuits before working his way to Gryffindor Tower. The rolls helped relieve the hunger that shot pins into his stomach; however, it was insignificant to the exhaustion racking his body. He was lucky that it was Saturday, which meant no classes and late breakfast. Using a Silencing spell, Remus slipped into his dorm room. He fell into bed, not even moving under the covers before falling into a deep sleep.

The unsubtle movements of Remus's dorm-mates woke him up. He stretched, pleased to notice a lack of aching in his muscles and bones. Having a correctly brewed Bone Healing Potion improved recovery time more than Remus thought it would. Remus waited for the room to clear before getting into the shower. There was congealed blood everywhere--under his finger nails, in his hair, down his legs. The water ran red for minutes. It felt good to be clean. He could pretend the previous night was a really bad dream as long as he ignored the severe bruising from the chain along his torso, legs, and arms. His jumper would cover everything as long as he didn't push up his sleeves. 

Remus walked into the Great Hall feeling better than he ever had on a day after the full moon. He absentmindedly wondered what other potions brewed during his tutor sessions would be helpful, and how much longer into the future they would go. Potter couldn't have that many detentions to serve. Taking his usual seat, Remus took extra helpings of bacon and eggs. He allowed himself to smile and settle into his seat as he extracted his muggle book from his robes and began reading. He had processed through a couple of chapters when he realized Lily had sat down across from him and begun speaking. "-_oking at you."

"What?" Remus looked up to find Lily looking concerned.

"Sirius Black is staring at you."

Furrowing his brow, Remus turned his head to find grey eyes glued to him from the other end of the table. "So he is."

"Why?"

"I don't know." Remus turned back to his book. "Why do the three of them do anything?"

"Maybe it has something to do with the tutoring. Black may feel jealous that you are stealing Potter's evenings away from him."

"It's not my fault if it is. Potter wouldn't be tutoring me if he didn't get detention." Remus turned a page in his book.

"So, I promised Snape I would spend the day with him."

"That's nice. Spend some time outside, it looks like it's going to be a beautiful day."

"What are your plans today?"

"Hole-up in the library. Spending evenings with Potter has meant less time for homework. I believe I have a writing due in herbology."

"Make sure you come down for dinner."

\------

Remus could feel eyes on him. He was intent on ignoring them, since he had come up with a brilliant idea for his herbology essay. It felt the same as the night before, like the same eyes were following him. Paranoia and panic struck through Remus, and the usually neat curl of his 'g's became sloppy. What if someone had seen him leave on the full moon? What if someone had followed him? Why were they waiting for him to confront them? Did they know that he knew? Remus dropped his quill, quickly turning around to find Sirius Black studying him from the next table. The male's usually well groomed black hair was missing it's style, and his grey eyes were ringed with sleepless bags. Steeling himself, Remus spoke. "Can I help you with something?"

"How are you here?" Remus cocked his head confused. "Your bones broke. And your skin--. Why aren't you at Madam Pomfry's?" Remus's throat went dry. Sirius Black was the one who had followed him, who had seen him transform. "You chained yourself to a tree! You turned into a--" Remus lunged forward clamping his hand over Sirius's mouth.

"Shh. Please, don't say anything. If they find out, they'll kick me out of school. Be quiet, please." Sirius held his hand up as if he were about to preform a pledge. Remus backed off, mentally surveying his possessions in order to find something to pay Sirius off with.

"You have to answer my question."

"What?" Sirius rolled his eyes. Remus suddenly found himself being dragged out of the Gryffindor common room and into The Marauder's dorm.

"You have to answer my question. Why aren't you at Madam Pomfry's?"

"I have my own potions."

"Your shit at potions."

"Well they work for me." Remus crossed his arms over his chest, grimacing when his elbow dug into a bruise. "Why were you even following me anyway?"

"I was waiting for Potter to get done with his stupid tutor detention, then you ran out of Slughorn's room like a bat out of hell. What was I supposed to do? Ignore suspicious activity." Remus deflated. He couldn't blame Sirius for his own carelessness.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Find you something better than a tree?" Sirius launched himself onto his bed with an ease that made Remus jealous. Remus remained standing confusion evident on his face.

"You're not going to go to Dumbledore?"

"No." Sirius sighed, exasperated. "James has this brilliant plan to befriend you in order to get closer to Lily. It would make me a shitty friend, if I got the key to his fool-proof plan expelled."

"Even though I'm a danger to the school."

"It's a school with insanely powerful wizards as teachers. Someone would stop you." Remus shook his head in disbelief. "I think you should allow us to help you."

"Us?"

"The Marauders. We know the school like the back of our hand. We can find you a better place to stake out for the full moon than a giant tree in the Forbidden Forest. I'm surprised I'm the first person who stumbled upon you."

"You almost did one other time." A flash of curiosity lit up Sirius's eyes. "Before your big Halloween prank last year, you went into the forest to find some mushroom or something. The rumors were that you heard a wolf. Peter wanted to go find it."

"That was you?!"

"It was a full moon." Remus shrugged. "The tree works for me. It keeps me away from the school."

"Yeah, well it doesn't work for me."


	7. One Way or Another

The room stood stagnant with tension as Sirius resolutely ignored the look James was shooting him. It was half excited and half suggestive, as James had walked into the room as Remus was making his way out. Sirius had refused to say anything to James. He didn't know what to say, and he was pretty sure that if he opened his mouth, the only thing that would come out would be frustrated screaming. Sirius had argued with Remus for the upwards of two hours about letting The Marauders help during full moons. Remus had refused until James entered the room. He deflated and dismissively said: "Do whatever you want, that's what you normally do", before exiting the room. He looked like a prisoner who had accepted that he was sentenced to death.

"James--how would you--who would you--what--" Sirius sighed, leaning over until his forehead touched his pillow. "Let's say you learned a secret, a really big, really intense secret, and there are essentially two options to chose from on how to deal with it. You can do nothing, and the person would continue to suffer from terrible things. Or, you can do something, but you take the risk of killing not only the person but a lot of other people."

"Does Remus have some sort of disease?"

"Kind of."

"Has he gone to Madam Pomfry?"

"He can't. He would get kicked out of Hogwarts, if anyone found out."

"Is it contagious?"

"That's part of the problem with the option of doing something."

"What does he have, because this doesn't make any sense." Sirius remained silent. His mind was reeling from trying to make the right decision. He knew James wouldn't go to Dumbledore, or the Ministry, or any other threatening authority figure, but he wanted to protect Remus. "Sirius--"

"Remus is a werewolf." Sirius snapped. His head jerked up; his eyes panicked.

"What?"

"Last night I followed Remus into the Forbidden Forest. I watched him chain himself to a tree. I watched him turn into a wolf. His body tore itself apart and rearranged itself, James! He was screaming in pain. I vomited."

James sat in silence; his wide eyes boring into Sirius's. "What do we have to do to help him?"

"I was thinking the Shrieking Shack. Nobody knows about it besides us, and nobody would be surprised if horrifying noises came from the Whomping Willow."

"So instead of chaining him to a tree, we're going to lock him in a room?"

"Maybe if he has room to transform, it won't be as terrible."

"You realize you just gave us a shit ton of more homework right?"


	8. We're All In This Together

Remus was oddly calm as he finished his Herbology essay. It wasn't the same feeling as shock, but he didn't want it to be acceptance. He didn't want to roll over to Sirius Black, who was infamous for talking himself and other people into and out of things. There were rumors that he talked himself into the girls dormitory. It had to be acceptance, because his worst nightmare had happened. The logical part of his brain reminded him that Sirius didn't seem to want to expose him or blackmail him. He claimed he wanted to help. Remus wasn't sure he could help. He wasn't sure anyone could do anything to help. Although, if Remus was honest with himself, the Marauders would be the people who would be able to solve such a ridiculous problem. It would be a while before they figured something out anyway, which meant Remus would have to convince them to stay out of the woods during full moons. Hopefully that would be relatively easy since Sirius had witnessed the transformation first hand. That was a worry for another day though. Remus was mentally exhausted.

\---------

The next morning during breakfast, Remus was not joined by Lily as he normally was. Instead three exhausted looking males took the seats next to him. "How do you wake up this early?" James yawned loudly and began piling his plate with breakfast sausage.

"What are the three of you doing?" Remus tried to not sound too venomous, but his entire plan of staying away from all notice was being thrown out the window.

"We're your friends. Friends eat together." Sirius replied, using a tone as if he were talking to a child. "Also, there's no way we're going to have anything ready by next month. We need to know what we can do to help in the meantime."

"Having correctly brewed healing potions was actually really nice." The situation suddenly became surreal as Remus realized he was discussing being a werewolf with the three most well-known guys at school in the middle of breakfast as if they were talking about hooking a friend up with a crush.

"Is there anything we can do to help during the transformation?"

"No." Remus snapped. "And that's not up for debate. You can't be anywhere near the forest during a full moon. I'm not going to let you risk your life like that."

"Sirius did and he's just fine." Peter pointed out.

"I am not "just fine"." Sirius corrected. "But, I think we could help if we were there."

"No. It's too dangerous. I've broken out before, and it could happen again."

"You looked really secure to me."

"I'm glad you're stupid enough to feel safe around a fully shifted werewolf." Remus paused and took a deep shaky breath. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for, but you are not going to be in the woods during a full moon. I will make sure you will have a detention or some other obligation."

"That is very conniving and naughty, Mr. Lupin." Sirius teased. He shook off the insult with ease.

"I know how the three of you work. I'm not taking any chances." Remus stood. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."


	9. Aha

Sirius wasn't expecting the answer to their dilemma to fall off of the bookshelf and into their laps. He knew for sure that it wouldn't happen because Peter tried the “Achio werewolf cure” spell. But, he was hoping there hours of scouring would give them something to work with. The only information on werewolf’s in the library was based around folktales from hundreds of years prior. There were no accounts about someone trying to be around a werewolf while they were shifted. The most frustrating part was that Sirius had theories, concepts he took seriously enough to write down, but he couldn't test them because Remus was afraid. If he was honest, Sirius did not want to go through the transformation again. It had been a more scarring experience than Sirius liked to let on. He got through it by reminding himself that he didn't have to live through the pain. Hearing bones break would never be as bad as feeling bones break.

“What if we didn't tell him?”

“What?” Sirius looked up, having missed whatever had prompted Peter to speak.

“We convince Remus we aren't going to follow him into the Forest, then use the Invisible Cloak to follow him. He doesn't remember anything after the transformation, so we'd be able to experiment and get back to the castle without him knowing.”

“I like that idea.” James tapped his quill against his lips. “But, it would be suspicious if we suddenly agreed not to go out to the woods.”

“Isn't the next full moon during the week?” Sirius scrambled to his desk, grinning valiantly as he pulled out the unused gift from his mother. “It’s on a Wednesday!”

“That just makes it harder for us.” James’s tone implied Sirius was stupid.

“But it gives us alibi’s. We need plans for Wednesday night. Something like a party where lots of people will see us come, but we can sneak out really easily.”

“We wouldn't be able to plan it though, that would make Remus suspicious.” Sirius internally celebrated. James understood and was on board, which meant Peter would agree without question.

“Who could we convince to throw a party?”

“Someone not a Gryffindor. We need to be able to access the tower without trouble.”

“Hufflepuff Tower faces away from the Forbidden Forest.” Peter’s soft voice made Sirius pause, then jump up and wrap the boy in an aggressive hug.

“You are a bloody genius! I know just the person!”


	10. Now We Begin

Sirius was impressed. He was frustrated, but he was impressed. McGonagall woke the boys the morning of the full moon with a detention notice. Someone had enchanted the Slytherin portal to yell insults anytime it was opened. There were multiple people claiming it was them. They hadn't done it, of course, but there was no way McGonagall would believe them. It was just the sort of thing the trio would do. Their sentence was shelving books in the library under the watchful eye of Ms. Prince. It took hours to shelve all of the books. There was no way they would be able to escape. Which meant they would not be enjoying the party in the Hufflepuff Tower, and it would be very late (or early) by the time they got to the forest. They would still go of course, at least Sirius would. “I haven't seen Remus.” Peter stated, searching the Great Hall. 

“He’s probably curled up with a book somewhere.” Sirius finished his drink. “You remember what he said don't you. The day of the full moon is hell for him.” 

“Yet he’s never missed a day of class.” James said in awe.

“So are we going to go to detention?” Peter questioned.

“Yes.” Sirius stacked his plates. “We may miss the whole transition, but we are going to have access to the library without having to maneuver around people, and we may even have access to the Restricted Section.” 

“We may actually learn something in detention.” James joked.

The group paused as Lily Evans sat down next to Peter. She looked unamused as she made eye contact with each of the males. “What are the three of you doing?”

“Eating breakfast.” Sirius snarked.

“I mean with Remus.”

“We’re his friends.” Peter piped in, since James seemed to be struggling.

“Really?” Lily sounded doubtful. Sirius was hurt by her tone, but he understood where she was coming from. 

“Yeah. We got to know him through the potions tutoring thing. He's pretty cool.” Sirius met Lily’s gaze unflinchingly.

“This better not be some kind of prank. If it is, I’ll hex you all so badly you'll never leave your houses again. Remus is one of the best people I know. He deserves the best.” The redhead then stood up from the table with a huff.

“I guess he wasn't fucking around when he told you he was best friends with Evans.”

\------------

Sirius and Peter were inside the library surveying the carts of books when James strolled in. He flung his robe and bag onto a chair next to his friends’ stuff. “Remus looked like shit.” James picked up his first stack of books.

“Make sure you set aside anything that could possibly be related to werewolves.” Sirius reminded, gesturing to a stack of books that had been set aside.

After hours of paper cuts, dropping books, and complaining, all the books had been shelved and they had collected a decent stack of possible werewolf related books. It was almost two in the morning, but a couple of energy spells allowed them to keep their eyes open long enough to find something they could latch on to. It was an old book, the talked about various experiments that had been performed on werewolves. Sirius had reread the same passage multiple times before connecting the dots. “Guys, I think I figured it out.” Sirius yelled, causing James to jerk awake. “Werewolves don't go after animals. It doesn't matter if they're natural born or bitten; they only go after humans.”

“So, we can't turn into animals, Sirius.” Peter yawned, flipping another page in his book.

“But we could. McGonagall had to learn how to be an animagi from somewhere.”

“Only the most powerful wizards can successfully become animagi.”

“Yeah, and?”

“We’re third years, Sirius.” James had snapped his book close.

“It wouldn't hurt to try. Now come on, we need to put the books in the restricted section away.” Sirius winked before strolling over to Ms. Prince.


	11. The Morning After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry I haven't uploaded in a while. My life has been more active than usual lately. I hope this makes up for the sudden disappearance.

Remus felt a little smug as he entered the dining hall to find the Marauders missing. They were most likely sleeping in after their late night. Remus was fairly certain they hadn't followed him into the forest after their detention. There had been no lingering scents when he came to in the morning. To make sure it took more time, Remus had gone out and unshelved a bunch of books from random shelves. With a self-satisfied smile, Remus took his usual seat in the dining hall. He had barely begun piling his plate with his usual post full moon breakfast feast when Lily joined him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, the morning looks beautiful. I think I may go to the lake to read."

"That's not what I mean. You've been hanging out with Potter and Black, and I know you were the one who charmed the Slytherin door. None of those three could pull off a charm like that seamlessly. That was also the first prank that had been pulled since Potter started tutoring you." Remus fidgeted as he tried to answer Lily's question without lying. The red-head was obviously more concerned than angry.

"I promise I'm fine. They're actually not terrible guys, sure they have a lot to be desired sometimes, but they've actually become quite good friends. I'm not denying that James and Sirius are prats ninety-nine percent of the time."

"But-"

"But, I've kind of grown fond of it."

Lily sighed and held out her hand, which Remus took. "As long as they're treating you well, I'll back off. However, if your grades start slipping or you're getting detention every other day, I will come down on your ass."

"I wouldn't expect anything else." Remus expected that to be the end of the conversation, and that Lily would return to her spot next to some of her friends, but she didn't leave. She picked at a piece of lint on her skirt. A habit, or tell, she did when she was about to get information.

"So, you and Sirius Black seem extra close."

"We are not talking about this here."

"No one is listening."

"I am closer to Sirius than James or Peter, yes."

"He's cute, isn't here?"

"Lily."

"Remus."

"Sirius is both my friend and seemingly straight."

"And?"

"That question is incredibly inappropriate."

"You're denial is telling." Lily winked before finally removing herself from the table.

\-----

Remus left the dining hall shortly afterwords. He wandered towards the lake with little desire to read. Lily was always good at bringing up stuff Remus didn't want to think about. It wasn't difficult for Remus to admit that Sirius was attractive. Any person of any sexuality could recognize that. Hours of time spent on the quidditch pitch helped too. And while his past dickish tendencies had caused Remus to fear him, Sirius was a good guy. It was obvious why he was a Gryffindor. It was daring to follow a stranger into a dangerous forest at night. It takes a lot of courage to confront a man about being a werewolf, promise not to tell anyone, and offer to help. He's brave to even think about going into the forest during a full moon again. It was so overwhelmingly Gryffindor that Remus was a little in awe. Having it all aimed at him intensified the experience.

"Remus!" Sirius called from behind him. The three Marauders were sprinting around the lake towards him.

"We couldn't find you." James panted.

"We thought you would sleep in, but when we looked you weren't in your room. Then when you weren't in the dining hall Sirius kind of freaked out. He wanted to go into the Forbidden Forest and look for you." Peter explained. "Evens told us where you are."

"Is everything okay?" Sirius asked, looking like he wanted to check Remus for injuries.

"Yeah." Remus assured. He had just watched Sirius Black, who didn't run under any circumstance, do a full out sprint, because he was worried about Remus. "I, uhh, just needed to think about something Lily told me. How was detention?"

The Marauders lit up with excitement. "Fantastic!"

"We know what we're going to do to help." Sirius grabbed Remus's hand. "Come on, it's in our room."


	12. Wait

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My family and I went on vacation for a few days. I wrote five chapters over the span of six days. Get ready for some rapid-fire updates.

Sirius was trying to keep Remus in the room for as long as possible to prevent James from trying to talk about his feelings. Ever since he had gotten more serious about Evens, he had been trying to get Sirius and Peter to talk about their feelings. Appearing and being vulnerable wasn't a characteristic of the Black family. "So you're going to become unregistered animagi, because some really old experiments said werewolves didn't go after animals. How would that help me not kill people?"

"We would keep you in the Forbidden Forest." Peter sounded proud as he offered information from their plan.

"Am I going to be running free?" Remus turned to Sirius looking incredulous. His eyebrows were raised, and his head cocked to the side. "Sirius." Remus snapped.

"We were going to start by moving you into the shrieking shack, but the end goal is to let you spend the full moon free."

"No. No That's not going to happen. Do you understanding how stupid that is? I could kill you. I could kill all three of you, then I'd be on to the rest of the student body."

"You said you've gotten out before." Sirius yelled back.

"Yeah. After I broke all of my limbs and almost tore my body in half." Remus's gold flecked eyes were scared. "If anything happened. If anyone saw me. I could be imprisoned or murdered. I need this, Hogwarts is all I have." Remus shook his head, withdrawing, and grabbing his bag. "I can't let you do this anymore. The risk isn't worth it."

Remus fled from the room before Sirius could form a response. "Whoa, that was intense." James interjected.

"I don't understand." Sirius sighed. "How can he be okay chaining himself to a tree once a month?"

James took a seat next to Sirius and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "I think you value Remus's life more than he does. He's also right. There are a lot of big risks."

"I'm willing to take those risks."

"Than, it looks like we're doing some old school Maraudering." Peter stated, joining the two. "Besides, even if Remus doesn't agree it's pretty badass to be animagi."

\-----

If Sirius didn't know any better, he would have sworn Remus left the school. Nobody had seen him or knew where hew was, and Lily Evens had taken on a motherly aggression. She normally was dismissive towards the Marauders, but she began refusing to even acknowledge their existence. The only reason they knew Remus was still at Hogwarts was because he continued to go to Herbology. However, the tutor sessions with James had been halted. The most frustrating thing was that there were times where Remus didn't show up on the map; as if he actually disappeared. Sirius wasn't a stalker, no matter what James said, he was just concerned. Peter was a God-send for willingly giving updates about Remus's physical condition. Although, Peter almost always started by saying he looked sad. Sirius wanted to patch things up with Remus, but he knew turning into animagi would help in the long run. The project was coming along quicker than they expected. McGonagall made it sound like it took years to accomplish whenever she talked about it in class; but, using a few books that they managed to smuggle out of the restricted section, Sirius and James had begun to piece together a recipe in a few months. They were hoping to start brewing it over the summer. Sirius was living with the Potters, so they wouldn't have to worry about making excuses to get together.

"Do you really think your dad has most of this stuff?" Sirius asked, frowning at the list of old obscure ingredients.

"Definitely. Dad inherited all of grandpa's stash. This potion shouldn't actually be that hard to make. It's all the stuff we have to do after that is going to suck."

"But it's worth it."


	13. Is This It?

Remus was thoroughly pissed off. He had spent his entire life, like thirteen years, distancing himself from people, and all of that was made useless after two months of hanging around three reckless idiots. Remus felt lonely surrounded by books and silence. It was bullshit and entirely unfair. Remus was beginning to think he over-reacted, but almost three weeks had already past since the argument, and Remus didn't know how to have that conversation. He would go to Lily, but he didn't know how to ask for advice without lying. Of course, he could just claim they were planning something stupid and wouldn't see reason. Lily would most likely believe him without a second thought, but then he ran the risk of her watching them and figuring out what was going on. Because, there was no way the three were going to just let it go. Remus also knew that a few animagi related books went missing from the Restricted Section of the library shortly after the Marauders had detention. The main problem with Lily finding out was that she would agree with Sirius about the tree method. Luckily, Lily was supportive without needing an explanation. It wasn't really different from what she normally did anyway. That didn't mean she wasn't curious about Remus's sudden change of opinion. Lily often gave Remus opportunities to talk.

"Okay!" Remus looked up to find Lily perched on the chair next to him. "I tried to be a good friend and be patient, wait for you to be ready to open up about whatever happened. But, your weird monthly sickness is coming back, and you look way worse than usual."

"I can't talk about it." Remus hung his head. He knew the look Lily was giving him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Sirius has been asking about you, and he's not just bugging me about it. Whatever your relationship is, or was, it really affects him that your ignoring him." Lily took a different approach. "He's walking around like a lost puppy looking for love."

"Well, I'm not the one to love him."

"And why not? You obviously like him."

Remus could tell he had pissed Lily off. "I just can't."

"Fine." Lily stood up. "If you want to destroy all of your friendships, who am I to stop you."

"I'm not trying to destroy our friendship."

"Then stop lying to me and talk to Black."

"I can't."

"Right." Lily picked up her bags. "Goodbye, Remus."

\----

Remus didn't manage to reconcile his relationship with Lily or the Marauders, and he began his summer friendless due to his cowardice. He never spent time with people other than his parents during the summer. He had never had an in-person visit with Lily over the summer, but they would exchange long hand-written letters. Now, he couldn't look forward to those. He figured it wasn't even worth bringing a quill or parchment home. But, then in late July, Remus received a letter delivered from an elegant black owl that belonged to Sirius Black. It was a summoning to the Potter residence.


	14. Start Again

It seemed fake when James managed a full transformation only a month or so after finishing the potion. The stag stood proudly where a human boy was seconds before. Magnificent horns curled towards the sky, and Sirius couldn't resist making a joke about James's huge rack. Peter transformed second. He went to sleep human and woke up as a rather large brown rat. They agreed not to talk about the high-pitched squeal that James made when Peter crawled out of his sleeping bag. Sirius was the last one to transform. He had taken up meditating and yoga to try to speed up the process. For three weeks Sirius soul searched without success. It was in the middle of an outburst that Sirius changed. He was adamantly denying having feelings for Remus when he began barking instead of talking. The transformation wasn't painful despite their original thoughts. It felt tingly, like drinking a healing potion. The potion ended up being the worst part of the whole process. It had taken a week and a half to brew, which was expected, but after the Eye of Newt it began smelling like rotting meat and foul milk. There were a few close calls, where Mr. and Mrs. Potter almost found the potion. The spell continued to smell worse and worse until the three didn't know if they had done something wrong. When the time came, the boys had to hype each other up in order to drink it. Competitive natures were useful sometimes. They retched for minutes after swallowing it, but they didn't die.

"Alright, step one complete." James cheered as the three boys got dressed after their hundredth successful shift. "Now what?"

"Now, we have to convince Remus to let us do a trial run." Sirius didn't mention that he'd already created a couple drafts for a letter. "I figured we would let him know that we have successfully become animagi and want to see how the werewolf responds."

"Isn't that essentially what made Remus leave in the first place?" Peter pointed out. "Why would that make him come here?"

"As a man of academics, he shouldn't be afraid of an experiment." Sirius dismissed Peter's concern.

"You just want to see Remus." James teased. "But, if you think you can get him here during a full moon, you should go for it. He did like you more than us."

\----

Sirius's letter was returned within a week of sending it. The three crowded around the letter which was covered in familiar precise lettering. Remus had agreed to visit the Potter residence during full moon. He agreed to try a free transformation, since there were no other people for miles. Sirius was ecstatic, and that un-containable excitement grew until the moment Remus appeared at the Potter's front door. He looked smaller than Sirius remembered and sadder. The three pulled Remus into a hug as if they had never had an argument or falling out. Mrs. Potter was immediately offering him food and lemonade once they released him.

"I'm fine, but thank you ma'am."

"Well, if you change your mind we've got plenty of food." She forced a glass of lemonade into his hand anyway. "James, why don't you take Remus's trunk up to your room."

"Oh no, I can get it." Remus lifted the trunk with a soft grunt and followed the boys up to the giant room they were all sharing. "I was surprised when I got your letter."

"Did you open it thinking it was Lily?" Sirius teased. He felt lighter and calmer than he had in a while.

"It was actually the only letter I've received all summer. Lily and I had a falling out at the end of the school year." Remus explained. He seemed mildly embarrassed in admitting that. "I wanted to apologize for over-reacting."

"It's cool." James waived his hand dismissively while Peter nodded. "The stakes are high, and you were scared."

"Still, I should have stuck around and heard you guys out." With a smile that was supposed to be supportive, Sirius wrapped an arm around Remus. He noticed that ever since transforming he was more touchy.

"Don't worry. You're a Marauder now. We'll put up with your shit." Remus flushed and gently leaned into Sirius's touch. "Man, I can't wait to show you what we can do."

"It's awesome." Peter added, bouncing slightly on the bed.


	15. The Lead Up

Watching the Potter's interact was Remus's new favorite past time. Mr. and Mrs. Potter flirted with each other openly, teased their son, teased Sirius, and preformed all sorts of magic. They had charmed the kitchen table to have as much room and as many chairs as needed. Remus wondered how often the Potter's hosted large gatherings. The Lupin's only ever had close relatives over to the house, and they never brought kids or spouses with them. The Potter's also ate together every night. Remus couldn't remember the last time his family ate together. Each person had a duty they preformed; Mr. Potter poured the drinks, Mrs. Potter pulled out the food, James and Sirius took the food to the table, and Peter and Remus set out the silverware. "So Remus," Mrs. Potter started, "James said he met you while tutoring you in potions."

"Yeah, I'm not very god at practical application. Although, I did manage to pass my last potions exam."

"Sometimes James gives us reasons to be proud." Mr. Potter teased.

\----

Dinner was delicious and Remus took a second helping of chicken, even though the full moon was only days away. Remus was shooed out of the kitchen when he tried to help clean, so the boys traipsed down to the pond on the property. It was shallow, and the clear water allowed for a clear view of the seaweed that reached up from bellow. Occasionally, bright orange fish with feather-like tails would dart out of the seaweed. The boys sprawled out on the shaggy grass. Sirius ended up with his head pillowed in Remus's lap; his black hair flowing over Remus's jean clad knees. James made a comment about lapdogs that Sirius pointedly ignored and Remus reddened at.

"You should room with us this year." Sirius stated, his big brown eyes staring at Remus with disconcerting intensity. "I'm sure Frank wouldn't mind the trade. I mean, you are a Marauder now. It would only make sense."

"It would make things easier." Remus mused aloud.

"Imagine how much more we could get done!" James practically squealed. "We've planned so many fantastic pranks, but we haven't been able to actually execute them because of Frank and his rule following ways."

"I'm not sure I'll be able to help much with the pranks." Remus tried no to shake as he plucked a piece of grass from Sirius's shirt. He wore t-shirts displaying the names of muggle bands. The current one was black and said Bob Dylan.

"You're joking." James deadpanned. "Charming the Slytherin portal was genius!"

"I just used an Insult Hex. The hard part was confusing the paintings into thinking the three of you did it."

"How did you know we were going to serve detention in the library?" Peter asked.

"I may have suggested it."

"You are evil." Sirius laughed.

\-----

Once the sun set, the boys became giddy. They dragged Remus even farther away from the house until they couldn't be seen from the house. There they began to undress. Remus adverted his eyes despite James and Sirius's teasing. He only looked when they actually transformed. It was fascinating. Remus wondered if it was that seamless when he changed. He doubted it.

Remus made sure to be extra complimentary. They had done this for him. It was impressive, and Remus got a little choked up thinking about it. "I can't even smell any human on you." Remus blurted when Sirius tackled him as a giant black dog. "This may actually work."


	16. Ooooooo

The night of the full moon the boys hiked into the forest behind the Potter's house. Sirius was conflicted. He was excited because months of work were finally coming to fruition. But, he was also terrified. There was a chance that their plan wouldn't work. Remus had pulled Sirius aside before they left and made him promise to use the Unforgivable Curses if everything went to shit. After a short argument, Sirius agreed with unquestionable confidence in his plan. He wasn't as unwavering as before. he wouldn't let that on to any of the guys though, especially not Remus. Once they decided they were far enough in, the three transformed into animals. They messed around in the woods until Remus told them it was time. Even though they were supposed to look away, Sirius peeked. Despite the spasms that jolted Remus's body, he folded his clothes and set them under the tree the boys had strewn their clothes around. The transformation still looked painful, and Remus still screamed like he was dying. But, there was no blood and the howling eventually stopped. After a few moments of silence, they turned around. The boys were on edge as they watched the wolf breathe. It was closer to labored panting. Peter approached first. Earlier in the day, the group had decided that it may be better to start with a small animal, in case they accidentally triggered some sort of reaction.

Remus didn't attack them. He gave each of them a thorough sniffing but never showed any form of aggression. Sirius was jazzed and ran a few laps around the clearing barking. His heart stopped for a moment when Remus started chasing him. The wolf quickly caught up with him. Sirius felt large paws hit his back, and he braced for impact. He was taken to the ground and rolled onto his back. Remus then began to playfully nip and lick him. Sirius figured that James and Peter were somewhere laughing at him, but he couldn't make himself be embarrassed. Remus was essentially showering Sirius in kisses; it was everything his poor unfortunately infatuated heart wanted.

The whole night Remus paid more attention to Sirius than the other two. When Sirius jumped into a river, Remus swam after him. When Sirius tipped over a root and fell on his face, Remus came bounding over to make sure he was okay. When Sirius picked up a large stick just to see what happened, Remus easily fell into a game of fetch. Sirius wondered how much of the wolf was Remus. Was the wolf drawn to Sirius because Remus was the closest to Sirius, or was it just because they were both canines? Sirius hoped the wolf tapped into Remus's subconscious and behaved the way a human Remus never would.

As dawn broke, they herded Remus back to where their clothes were. The wolf immediately started decimating the clothes; it must have smelled like their human forms. The wolf even went after Remus's clothes. For safety, James, Peter, and Sirius didn't change back into humans until Remus was comfortably back in his human form. Their clothes were too far gone to be saved so they carried him back to the house. Remus would most likely be highly embarrassed in the morning once he found out about the way the wolf acted towards Sirius. On the other hand, Sirius hoped that was how Remus would act every full moon. There were plenty of full moons for him to test his theory.


	17. The Morning After Part Deux

The first thing Remus noticed upon waking up was the distinctly sweet smell of bacon wafting through the room. It was what made him pry his eyes open and finally greet the morning sun. The other three boys’ sleeping bags were empty and a jolt of panic struck through his stomach before a bubble of laughter burst from the floor below. Remus rushed to get dressed, ignoring the implications behind waking up naked. Remus was relieved to find Peter, James, and Sirius sitting at the dining table alive and unharmed. Mrs. and Mr. Potter must have already gone to work, because the boys were openly talking about their animal forms and how they could be used for pranks. Remus took a seat at the table, and a plate piled with food was set before him. “How do you feel?” Sirius asked, his eyes shining with the results of a good sleep.  
“Great.” Remus confirmed before lifting one of the buttered pieces of toast to his lips. He hadn’t been in any pain when he woke up. There was no bruising or blood. The only sign of the previous night’s activities was a faint soreness in his muscles from exertion.

“Good!” Sirius beamed without any smugness.

“And nobody is in the hospital, so I’m guessing things went well.”

“They went really well for some people.” James snickered, making Peter laugh.

“What?” Remus turned to Sirius expecting him to quell the worry that the Wolf had done something wrong.

“Moony seemed to like Padfoot.” Sirius smirked. “I thought I was going to drown in wolf saliva.” Remus blushed.

“Padfoot got you to play fetch and take a swim.” James teased; although, it was directed more towards Sirius than Remus.

“Did I go after either of you or try to get back to the house?”

“No, you were pretty preoccupied with Padfoot.” James continued to tease. “You almost crushed Wormtail, but that was mainly his fault.”

“You also tore up all of our clothes.” Peter added. Remus was glad the plan had worked. He had hoped it would, which was the only reason he had accepted Sirius’s request for him to visit the Potter house. It had been difficult keeping himself from expecting good results. The Wolf, or Moony as the Marauders had taken to calling his furry form, was driven by instinct. What Remus wanted didn’t impact the Wolf at all. Although, he would have to keep an eye on how Moony interacted with Padfoot. It was likely that the behavior was due to both of them being canine, but it would be his luck that the only thing that translated from human to wolf was romantic interest.

“So, are you okay with staying in the shrieking shack instead of chaining yourself to a tree every full moon?” Sirius asked, rerouting the conversation to something productive.

“We know it will be big enough that we should all be able to fit. There just won’t be much space for running.”

“We can try it.” Remus ascented. “But, if anything happens-”

“We’ll be careful.” Sirius interjected.

“Like super careful.” Peter agreed.

“Actually careful, not like when we say we’re going to be careful but aren’t.” James concluded.

\--------------

They spent the rest of the day by the edge of the water basking in the sun. Remus had selected a book off of the Potter’s bookshelf, but spent little time actually reading about the history of Gringot’s. Now that everything with the Marauder’s had been settled, Remus wanted to contact Lily and apologize. She was trustworthy and a very good friend. Remus didn’t want to continue to lie to her. That information would not be shared via letter in case it was intercepted or arrived at the wrong house. Once he returned home, he would send the letter. For the next two days he was going to enjoy time with his friends.


	18. The Beginning

Even though Sirius had spent the whole summer with the Potter's and not under the oppressive eye of his mother, being back at Hogwarts brought feelings of safety and familiarity. He had a place at Hogwarts, friends, and a sense of purpose. He had ridden in a car with James and Peter just like he had every other year, but now there was a fourth person joining them on the walk to the Great Hall. Remus had traveled with Lily. Remus left a few days after the Full Moon Experiment, as the group had taken to calling it, but had continued to keep in contact with Sirius. In the last letter Remus had written, he had hinted at telling Lily about what actually happened when he was sick once a month. Sirius had remained neutral on the matter; however, he knew how much it was hurting Remus that he and Lily were no longer speaking. He hoped the red-head had responded well. Remus's eyes were red coming off the train, but he seemed to be in good spirits. It would be an easy night, which would be good after a highly emotional conversation. The first years would be sorted into their house, then the meal of the year would be served. After dessert everyone would head up to the dorms for a low energy night of unpacking. Sirius was excited because Frank had readily agreed to switch rooms with Remus.

The four sat at the end of the table Remus usually camped at and were surprised when Lily Evans slid into the spot next to Remus. Sirius hid his laugh behind a cough as James stuttered through a hello. Sirius thought James was going to die when Lily smiled at him in response. Peter and Remus were also trying to hide their smiles. "Remus told me about what you guys have done for him. I know he doesn't want me to make a big deal out of it, but it is a big deal. And, I wanted to thank you for what you've done."

"It wasn't a problem." James assured. Talking to beautiful and smart girls could trip James up in a major way, but taking compliments for his hard work was something he excelled at.

"Still, thank you."

Lily sat next to them all through dinner. It was probably the most civil conversation the two had shared. At some points Sirius would swear Evans was flirting. "Did you bribe Evans?" Sirius whispered to Remus, who was pretending to pay attention to the sorting ceremony.

"No. What would I bribe her to do?"

"Give Potter attention."

Remus snorted, "Lily doesn't deny that James is attractive." Remus whispered back. "The personality he puts out is what makes him less desirable."

Sirius crossed his arms with a small frown of contemplation. He could almost hear the teasing "that applies to you too" in Remus's voice. They used to be really bad, really mean, but they had started to calm down in the last few years. They still pulled pranks, but the victims were less maliciously picked. Sirius wondered if Remus felt similarly about him, if that was why he remained very guarded around Sirius. It had been evident from their first conversation in the library that Remus didn't trust Sirius and was almost scared of him. Sirius wanted Remus to trust him and view him as a friend and eventually something more.


	19. Of The End

Moony was trying to kill Remus through embarrassment. Since the beginning of the school year, the Marauders had survived three full moons. And the reports after were getting more and more questionable. As long as Padfoot was around, Moony didn't even notice he was in the Shrieking Shack. The first night Moony had spent the whole night bathing Padfoot. He had reportedly held the black dog down and growled at him whenever he tried to wriggle free. The second night Sirius had to serve detention, so Remus had chased poor Wormtail until Moony got tired. The third and most recent night Moony had apparently refused to be less than a foot away from Padfoot. In human form, Remus assured his friends that he had no idea why Moony was doing what he was. It was a bold faced lie, and the others were beginning to see that.

\------------

"Moony doesn't care about you're feelings." Remus and Lily were sitting in a secluded part of the library working on a Muggle Studies assignment. "If Remus doesn't do something about it, Moony will. And, I bet you won't like his tactics." Lily was right, as she always was, and Remus knew that. But, he was scared.

"What if Sirius doesn't feel the same way and whatever feelings that entails causes Moony to hurt Sirius? It's already obvious that my emotions effect the Wolf. What if Moony gets mad and tries to kill Sirius?"

I don't think you need to worry about Sirius rejecting you." Lily smirked knowingly. "A little birdy told me Sirius has quite a thing for you."

"Speaking of Potter, you've been spending quite a bit of time with him."

"Nuh uh, we are not talking about that until you agree to talk to Sirius. I will not be distracted, Lupin."

"Sure, I'll talk to Sirius. It's not like he's the biggest drama queen on campus and handles even the smallest excitements like a normal person."

"Even though it was sarcastic, I'm counting that as a yes."

\-------------

Remus wanted to back out of the room when he returned from studying with Lily to find Sirius alone in the room, absentmindedly doodling in the margins of his transfiguration notes. Remus decided to try and play it cool, putting his books away before taking a seat on his bed. "Hey Sirius, could I talk to you when you're done doing your homework?"

"I'm not doing my homework, mate." Sirius rolled onto his back then into a sitting position. "What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you about how Moony has been acting towards you as Padfoot." Sirius sat up a little straighter, letting Remus know he was listening closely. "I think Moony has taken a liking to Padfoot, because I feel strongly for you. I've been trying to deny that my emotions would influence Moony's actions, but I'm afraid that you may get injured because of it. I'd rather risk my feeling than your life." Remus looked up to find Sirius gaping at him. He wasn't sure whether to allow the silence to continue or break it. "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted to let you know, so you can decide if you want to continue being around Moony. I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Remus stood up to begin getting ready for bed.

"Are you saying you like me?" Sirius was still sitting, but he was braced like he might have had to run.

"Yes." Remus decided it was time to be bluntly honest.

"I like you too." Sirius was standing now. "I really like the attention I get from Moony, because I didn't think I'd ever get it from you."

"We'll, maybe we could arrange for you to get attention from me." Remus tried making his tone flirty. It was probably more comical than seductive.

"Whenever I want."

"Within reason." Remus pulled back. "We are still at school."


End file.
